The Government of Sierra Leone has made a significant contribution to the fight against human trafficking by transferring Fifty Thousand New Leones (SLE50,000) into the Victims of Human Trafficking (VOT) Trust Fund, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Finance on Friday, 13th September 2024.
An additional Fifty Thousand New Leones (SLE50,000), part of the quarterly funds allocated to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Task Force Secretariat, is currently with the Bank of Sierra Leone and will be transferred to the VOT Trust Fund Account in the coming days.
Dehunge Shiaka, the Executive Director of the ATIP Task Force Secretariat, stated, “This contribution from the government is intended to provide effective care and assistance to trafficking victims, including women and children.”
The funds will also be used to establish a recovery or shelter facility for male victims in the Western Area, addressing a key recommendation in the 2024 Global Trafficking in Persons Report recently released by the US Department of State.
Currently, the only specialised VOT shelter in Sierra Leone caters solely to women, girls, and boys.
The government’s efforts have been further bolstered by a grant of Thirty-Five Thousand US Dollars (equivalent to SLE805,000) from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The ATIP Task Force Secretariat is collaborating with the Ministry of Social Welfare to access this grant, which will be utilized through the VOT Trust Fund over a six-month period.
The VOT Trust Fund, established under Section 11 of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act of 2022, was officially launched on February 23rd, 2024, by Her Excellency the First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, who also serves as the National Anti-Human Trafficking Champion.
